The Democrat Party and red villages

The government is using tax money to help the Pheu Thai Party and the red-shirts open red-shirt villages in the South, a move which could further divide the people, Democrat Party MP for Songkhla Sirichoke Sopha said on Tuesday.

Mr Sirichoke said this was obviously for the government’s own political interests and contrary to its policy to bring about reconciliation.

For example, various activities were organised prior to the opening of a red-shirt village in Chana district of Songkhla province on May 14.

Moreover, a training course was planned for the people in the village on June 2-3 under the “Red All Over the Land” project. Guest speakers would include United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship chair Tida Thavornseth and Pheu Thai Party list MPs Jatuporn Prompan and Weng Tojirakan….

Mr Sirichok called on the government to clarify the sources of the funds to carry out these activities.

If the government did not want to further divide the people, it must stop supporting the opening of more red-shirt villages, he said….

A pavilion in a brand new red-shirt village in Songkhla was set on fire and razed to the ground on Tuesday morning.

The arsonist struck only a day after Tida Tavornseth, chairwoman of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), presided over the opening ceremony of the red-shirt village in Songkhla’s Chana district.

Police initially suspected the motive was political, because some local people were not happy with the red-shirt movement’s push into the southern province.

The southern region is the traditional political stronghold of the opposition Democrat Party.

However party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut quickly denied his party was in any way involved in the fire or supported arson.

His party was not calling on people in Songkhla and Phuket to protest against the red-shirt movement’s activities in their areas, he said.

The Democrats only told people in the South the truth. They were well aware of the UDD’s hidden agenda….

“It’s just that some red-shirts want to brainwash southern youth and plant wrong ideologies into their minds.”…

By the time the second story was put up, the Post has combined the two stories. It is an interesting placement of the initial stories at the website . Finally, we read this at the Bangkok Post:

… The fire broke out just hours after Tida Tawornseth, chairwoman of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), presided over a ceremony celebrating the establishment of the red-shirt village at the same pavilion.

The UDD claimed the aim of establishing the red-shirt village was to promote democracy and people’s participation in government policy.

But the move has angered many people in Songkhla province, where at least 10 villages have been set up in three tambons.

Ms Tida condemned those who started the fire and said she suspected a political party was behind protests against the red-shirt movement in the southern provinces….